Navy’s Justin Mumford and Brian Schloeder Earn CSC Academic All-America Honors, Continuing Midshipmen Tradition of Excellence

By Brian Hradsky | Maryland Sports Blog

Success at the United States Naval Academy has always been measured by more than wins and championships. The Academy’s student-athletes are expected to excel in the classroom, on the competition field, and ultimately as future officers in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.

On Tuesday, that commitment to excellence was recognized on the national stage as recent graduate Justin Mumford and rising junior Brian Schloeder were named 2025-26 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-Americans for men’s track and field/cross country. Mumford earned First Team Academic All-America honors, while Schloeder was selected to the Third Team, giving Navy two of the nation’s most accomplished scholar-athletes.

The recognition places both Midshipmen among the elite student-athletes in NCAA Division I, where academic excellence is weighed alongside athletic achievement.

Mumford Caps Historic Career

Few student-athletes leave Annapolis with a résumé as complete as Justin Mumford.

The New Baden, Illinois native graduated from the Naval Academy with distinction in aerospace engineering, carrying an outstanding 3.95 GPA while becoming one of the premier distance runners in Patriot League history.

During his decorated career, Mumford:

• 2025 Patriot League Cross Country Champion
• 2026 Patriot League champion in the 5,000 meters
• Two-time Patriot League champion in the 10,000 meters
• Multiple NCAA East Regional qualifier
• Six-time Academic All-Patriot League selection
• Three-time Dean’s List honoree
• Ranked 66th in the Naval Academy Academic Order of Merit

Earlier this summer, Mumford was also voted the 2025-26 Patriot League Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming just the ninth Midshipman to earn the conference’s highest academic honor.

Receiving First Team Academic All-America recognition serves as a fitting conclusion to one of the finest academic and athletic careers in recent Navy distance running history.

Schloeder Emerging as One of Navy’s Brightest Stars

While Mumford’s Navy career has concluded, Brian Schloeder is still building what could become one of the Academy’s most decorated track and field careers.

The quantitative economics major has maintained a GPA above 3.8 while quickly developing into one of the nation’s top collegiate pole vaulters.

Schloeder’s 2026 season included:

• NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field All-American
• Patriot League champion
• NCAA Championship qualifier
• Academic All-Patriot League selection
• CSC Academic All-America Third Team honoree

Still only entering his junior season, Schloeder has already earned national recognition both academically and athletically, putting him in position to contend for additional All-America honors over the next two years.

What Makes Academic All-America Special?

Unlike many postseason honors that recognize athletic performance alone, CSC Academic All-America selections reward student-athletes who excel equally in competition and in the classroom.

Candidates must maintain exceptional grade-point averages while producing high-level athletic accomplishments against NCAA Division I competition. The award has recognized elite scholar-athletes for more than 70 years and remains one of the highest honors in collegiate athletics.

Another Banner Year for Navy Track & Field

These latest honors add to an outstanding 2025-26 campaign for Navy’s men’s cross country and track & field programs.

The Midshipmen produced:

• NCAA All-Americans
• Patriot League champions
• Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• Multiple Academic All-Patriot League selections
• Two CSC Academic All-Americans

The combination highlights a program that consistently develops leaders capable of succeeding both on the track and in one of the nation’s most demanding academic environments.

MSB Take

Academic honors often receive less attention than championships or All-America finishes, but they represent everything collegiate athletics should strive to achieve.

Justin Mumford and Brian Schloeder didn’t simply become elite athletes—they thrived while tackling one of the nation’s most rigorous academic curricula at the U.S. Naval Academy. That balance of discipline, intelligence, leadership and athletic excellence embodies what Navy athletics is all about.

For Midshipmen head coach Aaron Lanzel, these honors reinforce the culture built within Navy’s distance and track programs. Mumford leaves Annapolis as one of the Academy’s greatest scholar-athletes, while Schloeder appears poised to carry that tradition forward over the next two seasons.

Sources

1. Navy Athletics – Mumford and Schloeder Named CSC Academic All-Americans
2. College Sports Communicators – Academic All-America Program
3. Patriot League – Justin Mumford Named Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year
4. Navy Athletics – Five Midshipmen Named to Patriot League All-Academic Team
5. Patriot League – Bucknell’s Wade Shomper Earns Academic All-America Honors (includes 2026 men’s track & field Academic All-America release)
6. Navy Athletics social announcement confirming the honor
7. College Sports Communicators Academic All-America archives and selection criteria